EXCLUSIVE: Lincolnshrire Conservative Future's New Team

Members of Lincolnshire Conservative Future met at the White Hart, Bailgate, Lincoln today for their Annual General Meeting and have elected a new team to head up the organisation. The result of the elections is: 

• Area Chairman: Mr. Chris Green (Louth CF) UNOPPOSED
• Deputy Chairman (Political): Mr. Aaron Spencer (Boston CF) ELECTED, Mr. Robin-Hunter Clarke (Skegness CF)
• Deputy Chairman (Membership & Finance): Mr. Thomas Ashton (Boston CF) UNOPPOSED
• Vice Chair (Social Action): Miss Poppy Hubbard (Lincoln CF) UNOPPOSED
• Vice Chair (Universities): Mr. Mark Dixon (Lincoln CF) UNOPPOSED
• Vice Chair (Events): Mr. James Hopkins (Louth CF) UNOPPOSED

Lincolnshire CF Area Team (from left to right): Thomas Ashton,
Chris Green, Holly Hubbard,  James Hopkins, Mark Dixon
and Aaron Spencer.

The young Conservatives also held a conference which had presentations including: the No2AV Campaign, Conservative Policy Forum, Campaign 2011 and guest speaker Karl McCartney MP for the Lincoln Constituency who talked about the 'national picture' and took questions.

The Rasens Recycling Centre Marches to Opening

A new facility will soon be opening its gates in Market Rasen. Construction commenced in May 2010 and will open on Friday 4th March 2011.

The site will be open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays. The site is closed at all other times, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The Rasens will provide a user friendly site for residents to bring their household waste. The Household Waste Recycling Centre will be able to receive approximately 30-35 types of waste to maximise recycling and minimise landfill tonnages. The types of waste it can receive and redirect for recycling include:

• Green waste (grass cuttings/ hedge clippings, etc)
• Waste engine oil
• Cooking oil
• Car Batteries
• Small batteries
• Fridges and Freezers
• Electrical Appliances
• Wood (MDF/ Laminate etc)
• Rigid Plastics
• Cardboard and paper

Roger Helmer: Futile Sacrifices

Roger Helmer is a European Conservatives & Reformists Group Member of the European  Parliament, elected as a Conservative to represent the East Midlands Region.

Roger writes:

They say that the Incas used to perform frequent human sacrifices to the sky gods, with the objective of praying for rain and preventing droughts. These sacrifices were accompanied by horrific and grotesque rituals and cruelty. If, despite these excesses, the drought came anyway, then the priests advised the people that there had been insufficient sacrifices, so more and more citizens should be slaughtered to appease the gods.

Usually, this seemed to work, the drought ended, and the credibility of the priests was enhanced (just as sick people mostly get better, and in olden times this might be taken as proof that the medicine worked -- in the days before double-blind trials).

West Lindsey On Track For Balanced Budget

West Lindsey District Council already has a lean budget, thanks to changes made by Conservatives who took control in May 2008. It is now apparent that most of this year's spending will be balanced by efficiency savings and income, with no services being scrapped.

The authority currently has one of the lowest charges in the country and is also debt free.

Leader of the Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), said:

"We received the worst district council settlement on government funding in Lincolnshire and among one of the worst in the country, but we are proposing no council tax rise.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but early indications show we will be able to balance our budget for this financial year without impacting on key services, making expensive redundancies or increasing council tax."

The council needs to save £2.5m over the next two years and another £250,000 as a result of other pressures, such as inflation. Although the council's budget will not be officially agreed until Monday, 7th March 2011, there is cause for optomism.

Fight Continues To Reclaim Cash Lost By Local Lib Dems

This week the fight continues in Iceland where a high court is in session determining the status of West Lindsey District Council’s claim to money that was invested in the failed Landisbanki - under the council's Treasury Management Strategy wrongly locked in place by the controlling Liberal Democrats at the time.



Leader of West Lindsey District
Council Cllr. Burt Keimach.

Currently the Local Government Association are fighting to keep the Priority Claim status for councils across the country, which is why this case in Iceland is so important to the residents and the taxpayers of the district. Failure to secure such status could lead to less of the public's money being returned. A separate amount, similarly lost, is still held in Glitnir, with a court case expected in mid-March.

Conservatives have been fighting hard to get back the money for local people and Conservative Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), expects the majority of the Icelandic money to be returned, which will ease the pressures on the 2011/12 budget for the council. Speaking exclusively to this blog, he said:

"We have clawed back £1,010,000 already and expect another tranche later this year in June. I think we can realistically expect that we will recover 90% of the money."

Two Fatalities Following Car Crash

 A man and a woman were killed in a collision on the A46 north of Lincoln, near Nettleham.

A blue Vauxhall Astra collided with a purple Citroen Xsara between Riseholme Lane and Washdyke Lane, the Lincolnshire Echo today reports.

Carollers Help Local Charities Despite Weather Problems

In the city of Lincoln, for many residents and visitors alike, nothing is more synonymous of the way in which the city celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ than the generosity shown in the donations they make to the street-strolling, tune-touting, Our Lady's Carollers who make such a positive make collecting money for local charities.

The Carollers were not deterred entirely by the bad weather that caused disruption to many - and even led to the cancellation of the famous Lincoln Christmas Market - and that said had a reasonable year which has been both rewarding and enjoyable for all concerned.

The Carollers raised around £1,400.00 for local charities this year. Some of the charities to receive donations are:

• Special Families (Cherry Willingham)
• Marriage Care

Homeless Letters Are Hoax Declares Council

Hoax letters are being sent to people in West Lindsey saying that residents' spare bedrooms will be used to house homeless people.


West Lindsey District Council has stressed that the letters have nothing to do with the authority.
Director of Strategy and Regeneration, Mrs. Rachel North, said:

"We are extremely concerned letters claiming to be from the council are being circulated but we would like to reassure residents that this is a scam.

"We are working closely with Lincolnshire Police on this issue. West Lindsey District Council will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and will not hesitate to prosecute those involved.

"We would urge anyone who received a letter or knows where they originated from to contact us or the police with information."

Furious Karl McCartney Hits Out At Lincolnshire Echo

A furious Karl McCartney MP, Conservative (Lincoln), has hit out at claims published in today's Lincolnshire Echo which declared he has been sleeping on the floor of his House of Commons Office.

The report stated:

"The Conservative MP for Lincoln made the claim as the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority published the latest tranche of MPs' expenses claims for September and October last year.

"In December, the authority also published details of MPs' expenses from May until the end of August.

"The documents revealed Mr McCartney has claimed £20,954 since being elected in May – the highest of any MP in the county.  

"But that does not include any expenditure relating to his second home in London, such as rent and bills."

Tweeting just before half past eight, Mr. McCartney said:

"Shoddy sensationalist claims by Echo. I expressly pointed out I wasn't forced to sleep on the floor, & other MPs don't employ anyone then?"